This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Eco-conscious primary pupils
06/02/2007
A school which makes and sells its own bags to discourage people from using plastic bags was today announced as one of the winners of the It's Our Future schools competition.
Prize winning eco-conscious primary pupils have scooped £2,000 for their school by showing how they are helping to save the planet.
The competition, run by the Executive in partnership with ScottishPower, rewards projects which raise awareness of the environment and show pupils how they are affecting the world around them.
Announcing the winners at an award ceremony at Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh today Environment Minister Ross Finnie said:
"We need to encourage everyone in Scotland to adopt a more sustainable way of life and protect the world we live in.
"Scots schoolchildren are showing leadership in the way they embrace the environmental challenges facing us all and I urge others to do the same. The standard of the applications has been outstanding and I know the judges had a very difficult time in deciding the winners.
"We all need to act to protect our future. It is important that each person looks at their behaviour when at work, at home and at leisure to see where we can reduce our impact on the planet. We all need to recognise that it's our future, and start to translate our intentions into action."
Deputy Environment Minister Sarah Boyack added:
"Everyone can take steps to reduce their use of natural resources and their impact on the planet. Schools are already teaching pupils how that can be done through innovative and exciting projects up and down Scotland.
"The competition says to primary pupils, their parents and teachers - it's our future - and I'm delighted to be here today to meet the winning schools.
ScottishPower Head of Environment Alison McKean said:
"ScottishPower has been delighted to be associated with this competition and we have been so impressed by the calibre of the entrants. It's Our Future seems to have really captured the imagination of our young people and it has been great to get a flavour of the projects which are going on in schools up and down our country.
"ScottishPower is involved in many initiatives which try to encourage children to think about how they use energy and what they can do to protect the environment and it has been fantastic to see the awareness that is on display. We commend the Scottish Executive for pushing forward with this programme and we look forward to working with them to help our customers of today and the future to become more energy aware."
WINNERS BY CATEGORY
Waste: Dunbog Primary School, Newburgh, Fife
Project: Bags for Life
To minimise waste and encourage people to reduce, reuse and recycle, children designed bags and a logo. With the help of parents and teachers they sourced a company to produce the bags. The bags were showcased as part of an in-school Eco day during Enterprise Week, and have since been on sale at a local farmers' market - selling 800 bags in the community. This school also has a connection with a partner school in Malawi - Doroba Primary School near Mzuzu.
Runners Up Waste Category: Cabrach School, Huntly; Stratherrick Primary School, Inverness
Transport: Middlefield Primary School, Danestone, Aberdeen
Project: Walking Bus
To encourage walking to school and promote at school level the benefits to the environment by doing so. Project looked to enhance school's Active Schools programme.
Runners Up Transport Category: Biggar Primary School, Lady Alice Primary, Greenock
Food: Grantown Primary School, Grantown on Spey
Project: Organic Vegetable Garden/Farmers Market
A school organic vegetable garden and farmers' market involved pupils growing, harvesting and marketing organic vegetables. Pupils had to prepare the area on school grounds to grow the produce. Once harvested, the school then sold produce to community and at their own farmers' market, with money raised going back into developing the school garden.
Runners Up Food Category: Elgol Primary, Broadford, Isle of Skye; Girvan Primary, South Ayrshire
Biodiversity: Longforgan Primary School, Longforgan, Dundee
Project: Bogle Burn Trail
The development of Bogle Burn Trail involved cleaning up sections of the burn and planting native trees and bushes along the banks. The school also designed and erected two panels giving pointers to walkers to the diversity of wildlife in the area.
Runners Up Biodiversity Category: Kincardine in Menteith Primary School, Blairdrummond; Neilston Primary, Neilston
Winner Energy Category: Newfield Primary School, Stonehouse, South Lanarkshire
Project: Energy Action Project
Energy Action project was set up as part of the school's Eco School initiative to reduce the amount of gas, electricity and water used in school. Examples of this included stickers on all light switches instructing people to switch off; energy monitors to check new procedures were being adhered to and push taps fitted in school washroom.
Runners Up: St John Bosco Primary, Erskine; Calside Primary, Dumfries.
Pupils and teachers were invited to submit entries of existing projects, ranging from energy saving campaigns and recycling schemes to local wildlife conservation and organic garden schemes. Projects were assessed within one of five different categories: energy, waste, transport, biodiversity and food.
In total there is £20,000 of prize money for primary schools made available by Scottishpower. The winning schools in each category win a £2,000 prize with two runners up receiving £1,000 each.
The prize money must be used to develop new or existing environmental projects.
The schools competition has been developed in conjunction with Eco Schools Scotland, Learning and Teaching Scotland, and WWF Scotland.